BOZEMAN, Mont., June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The grand opening of the 86-year-old historic Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop in Yellowstone National Park will take place on Sat., June 22, 2013, the Yellowstone Park Foundation (YPF) announced today.

Now located close to the Old Faithful Lodge, within a few hundred feet of its original site, the facility was recently restored by the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the National Park Service. It will house innovative features that include:

Interactive exhibits that tell the Yellowstone Park Foundation story.

A glimpse of Yellowstone as seen through the camera lenses of early Yellowstone photographers Frank J. Haynes and his son, Jack E. Haynes.

A Photo Op area where visitors can have their photo taken in front of a giant reproduction Haynes postcard.

Opportunities to become stewards of Yellowstone National Park.

"As a new venue in America's first national park, the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop will delight visitors this summer with its creative exhibits, videos, photographs, displays that highlight exciting projects supported by YPF, and original Haynes memorabilia that date from around 1900," said Karen Bates Kress, President of the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

"This is another significant collaboration between the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the National Park Service that will showcase the importance of philanthropy in the Park," said Dan Wenk, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent. "The restored Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop will give our visitors a snapshot of the great work YPF has done, and also inspire them to become future stewards of this spectacular wonderland."

The facility is also being submitted for gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) designation. LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system that verifies a building is designed to improve performance metrics and sustainability.

Some elements included in the revamped building that will contribute to achieving this designation are:

Reuse of the original building structure, windows and exterior finishes.

Salvaged and recycled materials sourced from regional manufacturers, including Douglas fir wood interior finishes, porcelain tile, and glass paving throughout the building and site.

Many materials sourced from regional manufacturers.

Energy-efficient lights operated by occupancy sensors throughout the building.

Originally built in 1927, the facility housed one of the Haynes Photo Shops, the first photo concessions in the Park, established by Frank J. Haynes and his son Jack. The Haynes family ran the shops continuously for 84 years from 1884 to 1968. They sold hand-colored Yellowstone postcards, some that are collectors' items today, guidebooks, photos and other souvenirs cherished by generations of visitors.

This year the facility will be open June 22, 2013 to September 30, 2013, with daily hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance to the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop is free. For more information and history about the Haynes family and their work inside Yellowstone National Park, please visit www.ypf.org.

About the Yellowstone Park Foundation:

The Yellowstone Park Foundation has more than 16,000 individuals, corporations and foundations that donate to YPF each year, and has served as Yellowstone National Park's official fundraising partner since 1996. Its mission is to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources, and the visitor experience of the Park. YPF has raised more than $70 million, and funded more than 250 important projects and initiatives since its inception including wildlife research, cutthroat trout restoration, trail restoration, and youth education. For more information, please go to www.ypf.org.

About Yellowstone National Park:

Yellowstone National Park (www.nps.gov/yell) is home to the majority of the world's geysers, the main reason it was established as the world's first national park in1872. This wild, mountainous, 2.2 million-acre expanse is home to grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, numerous rivers, lakes and waterfalls, and the magnificent Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.